When Kraft USA's "Ready to Roll" contest went awry, it put the firm's public relations operation to the severest test: an unexpected crisis, thousands of angry customers and touchy legal questions. This scenario put the company on the defensive and called attention to the fact that in today's complex business world, the need for "crisis PR" is becoming more urgent. In Kraft's case, many public relations specialists interviewed by The Tribune found the food giant's response wanting...

Burt Zollo played a key role in the launch of Playboy magazine in 1953 before going on to enjoy a long, pioneering career in public relations and then writing novels. After early jobs as a publicist and writer for Coronet and Esquire magazines, Mr. Zollo and a colleague in Esquire's promotions department named Hugh Hefner left Esquire and put together a prototype for a city magazine about Chicago that was the forerunner to the modern-day Chicago magazine. However, the duo had difficulty raising money for...

-Knowledge: In public relations, you'll need to know all aspects of your product - and everything about your competitors. If you're pitching a story or event to someone, you need to know every last detail in order to push the right promotional buttons. -Networking: In PR, it's who you know. You'll have to call on every contact and every favor to get the exposure needed for your client. And you'll need to cultivate and collect those contacts all the time. -Communication: Whether you're...

For kicks Tuesday night at Wrigley Field against the Yankees, the Cubs should give out horseshoes and fake hand grenades to the first 20,000 fans to celebrate coming close. Before you scoff, consider the Cubs have tried worse marketing ideas - and in the last week. (If only a coat of green paint could cover every blemish.) Besides, for the Cubs, laughing about shortcomings beats crying in your Goose Island. They came up $35 million short of the Yankees' bid for unbeaten starter...

Chicago-based Groupon Inc. has hired Paul Taaffe, the former chairman and chief executive officer of public relations agency Hill & Knowlton, as its new vice president of global communications. Taaffe has already started at the daily deals company, spokeswoman Julie Mossler said. He stepped down from the global public relations agency in January after 18 years at the firm. His departure came after Hill & Knowlton merged with Public Strategies in January to...

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's intelligence chiefs will give their first ever public testimony on Thursday when they are cross-examined together in parliament about the case of former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden. The evidence-gathering session comes amid calls for the government to step up oversight of its three main intelligence agencies after documents that Snowden leaked to the press exposed Britain's role in secret mass surveillance programs. ...

LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wendy's Co says it never has used so-called "pink slime" in its hamburgers and ran ads in eight major daily newspapers around the United States on Friday to let diners know that. The nation's second-largest hamburger chain is the latest company to join the public relations war over so-called "pink slime" -- an ammonia-treated beef filler product that the meat industry calls "finely textured beef" -- that is at the center of one of the...

What has your veterinarian done for you lately? Perhaps through early diagnosis, the vet saved your pet's life. Perhaps your veterinarian made herself available after hours to do emergency surgery after your pet was hit by a car. The American Veterinary Medical Foundation (ACMF) is searching for America's Favorite Veterinarian. Submit your story and nominate your veterinarian through an app on Facebook (at https://www.facebook.com/AVMFdn ) in 250 words or less...

By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON, Sept 12 (Reuters) - In April 2011, then-Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was asked an unusually flattering question by an American journalist: "Are you the coolest man in politics?" The interview, which ran on the website of Outdoor Life magazine, was set up by Ketchum Inc., the U.S. public-relations firm that has worked to burnish Russia's image since 2006. On Thursday, Ketchum scored another...

By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON, Sept 12 (Reuters) - In April 2011, then-Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was asked an unusually flattering question by an American journalist: "Are you the coolest man in politics?" The interview, which ran on the website of Outdoor Life magazine, was set up by Ketchum Inc., the U.S. public-relations firm that has worked to burnish Russia's image since 2006. On Thursday, Ketchum scored another...

As president, CEO and scion of Edelman, the world's largest public relations firm, Richard Edelman has a unique view of the company founded 60 years ago in Chicago by his father, Dan. A new book due out next month, "Edelman and the Rise of Public Relations," by Franz Wisner, tells the colorful story of the firm's origins and its place in shaping modern public relations. Richard Edelman lived it, rubbing...

Participant Media has tapped Jennifer Garnick to lead the PR efforts for Pivot, Participant's forthcoming cable net. As vice prez of public relations, Garnick will be tasked with the overall communications strategy for Pivot, along with the TV program publicity, talent relations, events, awards campaigns and corporate and consumer initiatives for TakePart and TakePart Live. Garnick will be based in Los Angeles and report to Kent Rees, exec veep of marketing, scheduling and...

Jean W. Mahon was not daunted by being the only female public relations agent at Chicago's Martin E. Janis & Co. She knew her stuff and was as tough as any man in the office. And when Mrs. Mahon became the firm's executive vice president, she taught others what she knew, whether they liked her style or not, said the current executive vice president, Bev Jedynak. "Most people that worked with her realize they've gained valuable knowledge," Jedynak said. "All of them said, `She was a tough taskmaster, but...

DKC is ramping up its West Coast presence, tapping senior v.p. Jenn DeMartino to lead the PR agency's Los Angeles office, and added Noah Gold and Marina Beck to the team. "Following our third consecutive year of double digit growth - due in part to the success of our new offices in LA, Chicago and DC - we are in a great position to accelerate our expansion on the West Coast," said Sean Cassidy, president of DKC. "We've seen tremendous growth opportunities across many business...

As McDonald's chief public relations executive, Jack Daly was a quiet force helping guide the global fast-food giant. A company veteran with nearly 20 years at the Oak Brook-based corporation, Mr. Daly oversaw its global public relations. "Simply put, Jack's input on our brand and our business has been immeasurable," McDonald's CEO Jim Skinner said in a statement. "Through the depth of his thinking and strength of his insights, Jack helped guide McDonald's through some of our greatest successes and...

(Reuters) - Dozens of people were injured in a huge tornado that flattened parts of Moore, Oklahoma, on Monday, according to officials of three hospitals. There were no confirmed reports of fatalities yet. Integris Southwest Medical center in Oklahoma City, which has the biggest emergency room in the state, had received 19 patients, said Integris spokeswoman Brooke Cayot. Of those, seven were in critical condition, seven in serious and five listed as fair or good. "They...

For all of her considerable accomplishments in the dog-eat-dog world of public relations, Nancy Newman was happiest standing over a hot stove or engaged in heated conversations on topics ranging from international politics to local theater. The wife of the late newspaper legend M.W. "Bill" Newman, Mrs. Newman, 75, died Friday, Sept. 15, of acute myeloid leukemia in her South Loop apartment. "She didn't want most of her friends to know about her illness," said Lois Wille, a longtime friend...

April 23 (Reuters) - Public relations and marketing software maker Vocus Inc forecast a second-quarter loss, defying market expectations for a profit, sending its shares down 30 percent after the bell. The company also reported first-quarter results that fell short of analysts' estimates due to lower-than-expected bookings in its public relations, e-mail and news release products. The company forecast an adjusted loss of 3 cents to 4 cents per share on revenue...